Apples biggest downfall in its iPhone and iPad design is the ‘Home’ button, with repetitive use it is the first part of the device to brake or become less responsive and even though it can be replaced at a costly £120 would it not be better to find a solution that would put less usage on that poor little button? Turns out there is.Not only that, but there is a way to access Siri and multitasking without needing to use the Home button, rotate the screen and simulate shaking of the device without actually moving it, and adjust the ringer volume and mute function without using the audio buttons.It is called AssistiveTouch.

AssistiveTouch is a convenient feature that lets iOS users access buttons and trigger features that require movement without having to push buttons or lift the iPhone. AssistiveTouch is an Accessibility feature that is often used by people with various levels of disability. As it turns out, AssistiveTouch is also the perfect solution for an iPhone with broken buttons.

How to activate AssistiveTouchStep 1: Tap Settings > General > Accessibility > AssistiveTouchStep 2: Toggle the switch to the “On” position.A transparent icon will appear at the top of the screen. It is dark grey and has a series of circles inside of it. Touch the icon to access the AssistiveTouch features.

Note that the AssistiveTouch icon can me moved around the screen to a more convenient location. Just tap on the icon and drag it wherever you want on the screen.How to use AssistiveTouch to activate Siri, simulate the Home button, and access FavouritesStep 1: Open AssistiveTouchStep 2: Tap Siri, Home, or Favourites to perform the action.When you tap “Favourites,” you can access custom gestures that you create for one-tap actions. For example, you can create a custom gesture to scroll down while you are browsing the Internet.How to create AssistiveTouch custom gesturesStep 1: Open AssistiveTouch > FavouritesStep 2: Tap an empty gesture box.Step 3: Tap or swipe to create the custom gesture. Tap Save.Step 4: Name the New GestureStep 5: Open AssistiveTouch againStep 6: Tap Favourites. You will see your new gesture.Step 7: Tap the gesture to perform it.Step 8: Tap the menu button to stop using the gesture.

Use AssistiveTouch to activate the Sleep/Wake button, volume controls, and screen rotationStep 1: Open AssistiveTouch > DeviceStep 2: Tap Lock Screen, Rotate Screen, Volume Up, Volume Down, Mute or More to perform the action.When you tap “More,” it will call up a third menu.

How to use AssistiveTouch to take a screenshot, or open App Switching (Multitasking)Step 1: Open AssistiveTouch > Device > More > GesturesStep 2: Tap Shake, Multitasking, or Screenshot to perform the action.You can also perform a swipe or drag that requires two, three, four, or five fingers with the multi-touch gesture feature.How to use AssistiveTouch to activate multi-touch gesturesStep 1: Open AssistiveTouch > Device > More > GesturesStep 2: Tap the number of fingers needed for the gesture.Step 3: When the circles appear on the screen, swipe or drag in the direction required.Step 4: Tap the menu button to stop using the multi-touch gesture.Now you know how to access a variety of buttons with AssistiveTouch. If your Sleep/Wake, Home, or volume buttons are broken, you can use this feature instead